One of the tasks a computer performs when a disk is being formatted is detecting bad sectors on the disk and relocating them to minimize their interference with performance. Such relocations are known as primary or static relocations and are effected by a relocation algorithm called a slipping algorithm. Bad sectors and debris may also be discovered after formatting is complete, causing the sectors to be relocated after the disk is in service. These relocations are called secondary or dynamic relocations. Secondary relocations are typically performed using an algorithm called a replacement algorithm.
Error information regarding bad sectors encountered during formatting and during subsequent disk usage are typically stored in a specified area on the disk, sometimes called the primary defect list (PDL) and the secondary defect list (SDL) respectively. This information indicates which sectors should not be used to store data, and will cause processing commands (e.g., read, write, verify) to either skip the bad sectors or search other specified physical locations on the disk for those sectors.
Whereas slipping algorithms have a minimal effect on drive performance, replacement algorithms adversely affect the performance of a disk drive, both during the write process and subsequently during the read process. Dynamic relocations are time consuming due to the excessive seek time they require. During a normal write process, the drive accesses process sectors in the prime or standard user area of the disk. When a bad sector is encountered in the standard user area, the drive seeks to a dedicated defect management area (DMA) and sets up a relocated sector for the data that was to be placed in the bad sector. The DMA is physically separated from the standard user area. Whenever the bad sector is referenced, the drive is then translated to the appropriate DMA where the relocated sector lies. After the data in the relocated sector has been processed, the drive seeks back to the standard user area and continues.
The process of seeking to the DMA, processing the relocation, and then seeking back to the standard user area is repeated every time a relocation is needed. Thus, a seek-process-seek delay is encountered every time a relocated sector needs to be accessed. This time penalty grows linearly with the number of defective sectors in an extent.
Prior efforts at reducing this time penalty have included providing multiple DMA areas on the disk. The computer selects the DMA area closest to the bad sector whenever a relocation must be performed. This method reduces the constant associated with the linear time penalty because the seek step takes less time. However, the linear nature of the time penalty has not been altered.
The transfer rate of disk drives is severely degraded by relocations due to the linear time penalty associated with the typical defect management process. As data densities increase, the effect of debris and reduction in margins will increase the number of relocations for disk drive systems.
There is a need for a process that reduces the time required to conduct a post-formatting relocation. There is also a need for a process that allows the seek steps of several relocations to be combined, thereby encouraging batch relocations.